We entered the 2016 legislative session with the partnership of over 70 organizations and coalitions. As United for Kids, we stood together to propose solutions to the challenges our children face and encourage legislators to adopt our vision: Make Oregon the best place to be a kid.
The following are highlights from our successes on behalf of kids during the 2016 session:
Economic Security:
- Raised the minimum wage.
- Protected workers from wage theft.
- Increased the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for families with young children
- Increased protections from evictions made for no cause, and increased stability and predictability of rents by increasing notice periods and other measurements.
- Invested in EHA and SHAP to stem the tide of homelessness.
- Secured funding for affordable housing preservation.
- Secured funding to allow more than 100 grocery stores to continue to partner with the Oregon Food Bank.
Education:
- Increased funding for Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education
- Restored promised funding for Head Start.
Health & Safety:
- Provided premium assistance for Pacific Islanders legally residing in Oregon under the compact of free association (COFA) to make their health care more affordable and accessible.
- Required Oregon Health Authority to request a blueprint from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to allow affordable marketplace coverage to 86,700 low-income Oregonians.
- Increased accountability and communications among agencies to better serve youth in foster care.
